About Big Brothers Big Sisters of King County
Big Brothers Big Sisters of King County: Igniting the Power and Promise of Youth
Big Brothers Big Sisters of King County is a non-profit organization that has been serving the community for over 70 years. The organization's mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. By providing children with positive role models, Big Brothers Big Sisters helps them reach their full potential and become successful adults.
The organization's services are available to children between the ages of 6 and 18 who come from single-parent households, low-income families, or have experienced adversity in their lives. The program matches each child with a volunteer mentor who provides guidance, support, and friendship. The mentors are carefully screened, trained, and supervised to ensure that they provide a safe environment for the children.
One-to-one mentoring has been proven to have a significant impact on children's lives. According to research conducted by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, children who participate in the program are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college than those who do not have a mentor. They also have higher self-esteem, better relationships with their peers and family members, and are less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as drug use or violence.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of King County offers several programs designed to meet the unique needs of each child. The Community-Based Mentoring Program matches volunteers with children based on shared interests such as sports or hobbies. Mentors spend time with their mentees doing fun activities such as going to museums or playing games together.
The School-Based Mentoring Program takes place during school hours when volunteers visit their mentees at school once a week for an hour-long session. This program allows mentors to provide academic support while also building meaningful relationships with their mentees.
In addition to these programs, Big Brothers Big Sisters offers specialized mentoring programs for LGBTQ+ youth called "Rainbow Connections" which provides additional resources for LGBTQ+ youth facing unique challenges related specifically related gender identity or sexual orientation issues; "Bigs in Blue" which pairs law enforcement officers (big brothers/sisters) with young people (littles) facing adversity; "Beyond School Walls" which connects high school students directly into corporate workplaces where they can learn about career opportunities while being mentored by professionals working there; “MentorU” which focuses on college readiness skills development through one-on-one mentoring sessions between high school juniors/seniors & college students/graduates; “Mentor Tech” which focuses on technology education through one-on-one mentoring sessions between tech professionals & middle/high-schoolers interested in STEM fields.
To ensure that all participants receive quality services throughout their involvement in BBBSKC’s programs ,the organization provides ongoing training opportunities for both mentors & parents/guardians so they can be equipped with tools necessary help kids succeed academically socially-emotionally etc., including workshops focused around topics like cultural competency training , trauma-informed care practices etc..
Overall,Big Brothers Big Sisters is an essential resource for families looking for positive role models for their children.Their commitment towards creating long-lasting relationships between mentors & mentees has helped countless young people overcome obstacles & achieve success beyond what they thought was possible . If you're interested in becoming involved as either a volunteer mentor or donor please visit our website today!